u/doctor__tran

Just got another Alpina touring while on vacation: 2003 B3 3.3 Touring Allrad. Orient Blue, Sahara Lavalina, and no sunroof. Will go nicely with my B8 4.6 Touring and B10 V8 Touring once I get it imported to the US.

I also found a rust free 2003 330xd touring 6-speed manual with no sunroof on the same trip. Chiaretto Red BMW individual paint (mostly original with front respray due to rock chips) and Chameleon Black leather. It was an impulse buy but I couldn't pass on the deal. Will probably never find a spec like this again.

When I moved to Nashville, I never imagined that there would be several other Alpina Classic owners in the area (and growing). I hosted a little gathering in my garage with friends that own Alpina cars. Good turn out even though 2 cars couldn't make it since the owners were out of town.

I learned how to shoot on a P226 and veered towards HK for the more modern stuff, but there is just something about this Swiss / German collaboration....

• P49
• P225 Basel Polizei
• P6 Nordrhein Westfalen Polizei
• P226
• SP2009 Lucerne Polizei
• SP2022
• P239 (my concealed carry from 2010 to 2026)

Hope to eventually find a P75 for the collection

I need to eventually get a 551 to complete the set. I wish I had jumped in on a 551 before prices went to the moon.

56x trigger feels great, but having AR style mag release is throwing me off because I'm used to resting my trigger finger exactly where the release is. I may or may not have pressed it by accident a few times... I'll need to re-train to rest it on the mag well pin as an index point.

I was able to order a 563SB handguard and gas block so I can reconfigure the 553 into a 563 if needed.

I'm also curious now if an MCX FRT would work in the 56x lower.

Recently got into HK and after 16 years carrying a Sig, I decided to try a different CCW. Will be taking the VP9 CC out to the range this weekend to get some time behind it. It'll be hard to change so let's see if it'll even happen. The P239's stock short reset trigger is really hard to beat: one of the shortest and most tactile resets on any of my pistols. Dry firing the VP9 CC felt disappointing but range time is the ultimate test.

I had been hoping my 2 magazine orders would have arrived by now. I was going down the path of doing a 3D scan of a swiss mag and of a t-mag so I could 3D design and print adapters that could weld or epoxy onto p/t-mags for them to lock into a swiss lower. I only have 2x 30 round mags and 3x 20 round mags and I would prefer more before I start running my 553 in matches and other events. By chance, I went on JDI's site to see if they had any railed handguards in stock because my modified magpul pic rail segments mounted onto the handguards seemed to get too much wiggle with a MAWL and Unity Raxis mount. I saw "1" 56x lower in stock with a picture. I recall the site never had pictures of the actual lowers so maybe something was up. Emailed Dave and confirmed there was 1 in stock! Immediately ordered.

I told myself I wouldn't dump tons more money into expensive parts for a few months but I couldn't let this opportunity go by given the uncertainty of CH export licenses.

Can't wait for it to arrive! Oh, and no handguards are in stock. Acheron handguard will need to be the path forward.

I'll also still go down the path of making the 3D printed adapters this summer so I can run the Swiss lower when I feel like it.